Tasted in Vosne-Romanée with Maxime Cheurlin 20 November, 2017.
Domaine Georges Noëllat
1 Rue des Chaumes
21700 Vosne-Romanée
Tel: +33 3 80 61 11 03
Maxime on 2017:
“2017 brought a little stress with its early frost potential, but after that the conditions were optimal. July was complicated with some mildew pressure. The recent vintages of 2015 and 2016 have special levels of concentration which 2017 doesn’t have, it’s hard to say at this stage, but maybe they could be like a better version of 2011(?)”
Maxime on 2016:
“2016 exactly the opposite of 2017 – we lost, on average, 60% some of-course more. But that meant a very concentrated vintage brought in during super harvest conditions. It still needed some care to harvest in the frosted parcels to ensure optimal maturity but otherwise I think it’s very good.”
I should add that it was complicated to taste the 2016s here, because despite being at the end of November, many wines had not finished their malolactic fermentations – “They are most definitely late,” said Maxime, though he was rather laid-back by it all. “Yes most of the 2016s had very late malos, unlike the 2017s which are already underway – but I have the space and I have the time – I prefer when the wines do what they have to do in their own time. I won’t like to rush them – I only bottled my 2015s 3 months ago, in August!”
The wines…
Hard to taste this year but there is depth of flavour with energy and richness – I expect that the wines will be excellent. The earlier wines from this domaine I found a little oaky, but since Maxime now concentrates on the forests of Fontainbleu for his oak – it seems to me much less so.
2016 Nuits St.Georges
A large parcel in Bas de Combe, plus one smaller other. The was malo done in August.
Wide with a bright but concentrated fruit nose. Wide, supple, not that sweet but then slowly melting deliciously over the palate. Really concentrated but wears a suave suit of structure – very fine!
2016 Vosne-Romanée
A little Chaines in this, Jacquines, Champs Perdrix is the main part, some Hautes Maizières plus a smaller older parcel.
A very silky, concentrated, wide nose – not so overt though. Like the Nuits, deep, long, rich and concentrated. Needs to open more though.
2016 Beaune 1er Tuvillains
The first vintage from two parcels – this parcel did 9 hl/ha, the other none! Old vines here.
Deep, concentrated – like the last two, but a little more inviting. More direct, more mouth-watering freshness – bright and bouncy as a puppy, long, long finishing with a pretty salinity. Super wine!
A couple more wines were not tasted as they hadn’t finished malo. Gevrey Fontenys is a new wine and tasted quite good considering it hadn’t yet started its malo!
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Petits Monts
Here the malo is done. But not long as there is still some aroma. Wide, mineral, pure, saline totally convincing wine, despite the nose.
2016 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Boudots
Old vines the average is practically 90.
Malo only 50% done yet this nose is super attractive with bright berry fruit. Fresh, wide, super texture. Of course really to wait for but the overall balance is excellent. Still that richness of flavour and length.
2016 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Cras
More open, more complex, less concentrated – I prefer this. Fine, direct, lithe, long – another baby wine with micro-grained tannin and a growing weight of flavour. Delectable finish, slightly saline..
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaumonts
More together – it finished malo in June. Old vines at the bottom of the climat.
Oh yes, this has a lovely nose, beautifully red, ample yet fresh, fruit. Fresher, divine wine. Super concentrated in the finish. Easily the best yet!
2016 Echézeaux
From Les Cruots
Deep and quite reductive. Lots of volume and freshness but too reductive today.
Malo done in July.
Big, open and fresh – complex, not rich. Wide, beautiful scale and structure, increasing in complexity. Great wine, saline and with a digestive complexity. Bravo!
2015 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
The first vintage, with bought grapes.
Hmm a subtle reduction but also bright, fresh, delicious red fruits and freshness. Bright – wide, crunchy fruit for the vintage but with a hint of reduction still, sweet finishing.
2007 Echézeaux
Deep, attractive, blood-red fruit with a little maturity. Wide, saline, melting flavour – a wine in that place that’s not yet mature, but getting there. Tasty, more mineral finishing, long and very interesting – yum!